Scan barcode
A review by amrsalehduat
Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
5.0
What if The Ring and Jumanji had a baby? I never thought I needed an answer to this question but here we are. No, actually that’s not a fair comparison because even though Such Lovely Skin creeped me out like few stories ever managed to do before it, it is at its core a very powerful story about grief and guilt. Let me explain.
The reason why I watch horror way more than I tend to read it is because horror at its core has a simple formula: something creepy disrupts the protagonist’s normal life, the protagonist overcomes the monster, and life returns to normal. Schlote-Bonne took that predictable formula and used it to her advantage. Viv, our protagonist’s “normal life” starts with her dealing with the guilt of the accident that killed her little sister. Her monster is a demonic dopplegänger she accidentally welcomed into her life by confessing her secret to an NPC. Already, as you can see, Such Lovely Skin follows the horror formula but a distorted version of it so when the plot reaches the final step it unfolds in a unique and exciting way that I haven’t seen in horror so far. Of course, I can’t explain this in detail because of spoilers but you’ll understand what I mean and appreciate the author’s work when you read the story.
I am not usually someone who gets scared easily but this one really creeped me out in a good way. It’s a horror story after all. Not just because of the fantastical nature of the threat but because of how grounded it felt. Schlote-Bonne’s use of video games, social media, and tech in general, made the danger feel so real and so imminent because the attack can happen at any time. This also helped me try to figure out a solution alongside Viv and share her frustration whenever she failed and whenever she had to face the consequences of her failure to confront the demon.
As for the characters, I loved them all. Viv’s pain felt so real and her struggle to confront her demons—both literal and metaphorical—was my favorite part of a book that gave me a lot to love. I also loved the exploration of how her defense mechanisms against her pain often led to more pain, trapping her in a vicious cycle she struggles to break free from. Ash was another standout character for me. I really can praise the character work for the entire day but what can I say more than that Schlote-Bonne made me care deeply about a character we didn’t even see in the story.
Such Lovely Skin is an incredible debut by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne and while it delivers spectacularly on its horror aspects I encourage you to dig deeper into the themes of this narratively rich story.
The reason why I watch horror way more than I tend to read it is because horror at its core has a simple formula: something creepy disrupts the protagonist’s normal life, the protagonist overcomes the monster, and life returns to normal. Schlote-Bonne took that predictable formula and used it to her advantage. Viv, our protagonist’s “normal life” starts with her dealing with the guilt of the accident that killed her little sister. Her monster is a demonic dopplegänger she accidentally welcomed into her life by confessing her secret to an NPC. Already, as you can see, Such Lovely Skin follows the horror formula but a distorted version of it so when the plot reaches the final step it unfolds in a unique and exciting way that I haven’t seen in horror so far. Of course, I can’t explain this in detail because of spoilers but you’ll understand what I mean and appreciate the author’s work when you read the story.
I am not usually someone who gets scared easily but this one really creeped me out in a good way. It’s a horror story after all. Not just because of the fantastical nature of the threat but because of how grounded it felt. Schlote-Bonne’s use of video games, social media, and tech in general, made the danger feel so real and so imminent because the attack can happen at any time. This also helped me try to figure out a solution alongside Viv and share her frustration whenever she failed and whenever she had to face the consequences of her failure to confront the demon.
As for the characters, I loved them all. Viv’s pain felt so real and her struggle to confront her demons—both literal and metaphorical—was my favorite part of a book that gave me a lot to love. I also loved the exploration of how her defense mechanisms against her pain often led to more pain, trapping her in a vicious cycle she struggles to break free from. Ash was another standout character for me. I really can praise the character work for the entire day but what can I say more than that Schlote-Bonne made me care deeply about a character we didn’t even see in the story.
Such Lovely Skin is an incredible debut by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne and while it delivers spectacularly on its horror aspects I encourage you to dig deeper into the themes of this narratively rich story.